COHP104 Distance Education and Off-Campus Instructional Sites Policy – Academic Policy

No./Title: COHP104 Distance Education and Off- Campus Instructional Sites Policy	Resp. Office: ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Approval Body: College Council	Effective Date: March 2019
Category: Academic	Last Review: March 2019	Next Review: March 2022
Contact: Hassan A. Aziz Academic Affairs	 901.448.3164	 habdelz@uthsc.edu
Related Policies:	AA 102 – Distance Education and Off-Campus Instructional Sites Policy

Introduction

The college is committed to providing a quality educational experience for all students regardless of geographic location or mode of delivery. The college ensures students enrolled in distance education programs or participating in instruction at an off-campus instructional site have access to support services and resources equivalent to those available for students on the UTHSC Memphis campus.

Purpose

The college follows necessary and sufficient practices to assure the privacy of all students regardless of geographic location or mode of delivery.

Procedure

Distance Education Programs and Courses:

1. Distance education programs are consistent with the missions of UTHSC and the college and will be approved and evaluated through the regular curriculum approval and program assessment procedures. Unless otherwise provided, all policies, standards, procedures and expectations for on-campus instruction apply to programs offered through distance education.
2. Selection of programs to be offered via distance education is the purview of the appropriate program which is expected to provide necessary and sufficient oversight of the program to ensure the currency of the program, its courses, and resources.
3. Each distance education program results in learning outcomes appropriate to the rigor and breadth of the degree awarded. Each program offered through distance education has procedures in place to collect and review identified student learning outcomes and to identify program improvements based on the data collected.

Required Procedures for Academic Units offering Online Courses or Programs:

1. The college is responsible for verifying student identity to ensure that each student who registers for an online course is the same student who completes the requisite coursework.
   1. Strategies such as using a secure login to access course material and to submit course assignments and/or establishing means of proctoring exams are acceptable approaches of verifying student identity.
   2. In the event a specific fee is established and charged to students to cover the cost associated with verifying student identity, students will be notified upon registration regarding the associated fee.
2. A written statement regarding means through which student privacy is maintained and assured is included in the UTHSC catalog regarding an online course or program. At a minimum, information regarding the protection and assurance of student privacy for students enrolled in online courses or programs is included in the UTHSC Catalog and is addressed during new student orientation.
3. Students enrolled in distance education courses evaluate such courses using identified course evaluation strategies for all courses, regardless of means of delivery, as approved by the college and/or academic unit offering the distance education course(s). Additional aspects of distance education courses evaluated include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery system along with access to necessary support services, library resources, and the instructor(s) engaged in the delivery of the course content. As with all courses, results of course evaluations, and particularly the evaluation of the unique aspects of distance education course delivery, are used to enhance distance education courses.

APPROVAL HISTORY

Effective: March 2019

Approved: March 25, 2019, HPFO

Approved: March 27, 2019, COHP Dean